Blizzard — Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

2026-01-26 · Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

Event narrative

Heavy snow and low visibilities were reported early in the day by the Point Hope (PAPO) AWOS. By early afternoon blizzard conditions had settled in with winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph and visibility dropping to or below 1/4 mile. These conditions persisted into the early evening hours before the visibility began to improve.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper-level low over the Eastern Arctic tracked southwest toward the Bering Strait during the last week of January. This system pushed a cold front across the region, producing very strong winds along and immediately behind the boundary. These winds triggered initial blizzard conditions along the Northwest Arctic coast, which then spread westward toward the western Seward Peninsula.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1313553. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.